Rod Lees
Reviews By Author
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Boeing 787-8 All Nippon AirwaysPublished:
First, thanks once again to Carol Pesch at Hobbico for providing IPMS/USA yet another new item to review. Grateful as always, we are… keep the cool stuff coming! Here we have a plastic model of a plastic airplane. Admittedly, this new addition to the airways is graceful, and definitely has a different look. When IPMS/USA provided me the opportunity to build Hasegawa’s new ANA 787, it was an easy choice. I am hopeful this bird is as successful as everyone expects! I tend to build rather fast; that has pitfalls, but in the case of this model, the build only took three separate sessions; the painting and decal effort added another six! The kit consists of approximately 57 parts; included is the standard metal screw weight thorough the forward internal bulkhead to ensure the… more |
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MiG-29 Pitot TubePublished:
1/48 Pitot – AM 48 060, $5.50 Thanks very much to Iwona and Piotr at Master Model for providing us these review items, and thanks also to IPMS/USA for passing them on to me for review. Like all Master Model (MM) pitot tubes, these are “gems”. I used the 1/48 version to upgrade my Eduard MiG 29 build from earlier this year. At the time of the original build, I ground down a piece of wire for a pitot; didn’t do a great job, but it fit the bill. Now, here comes Master Model with their jewelry-quality brass version. Had to do it! An instruction card is included as part of the packaging, containing excellent drawings and clear instructions on “how to do it”. Other companies could follow suit… Removing the old pitot tube (looks… more |
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F3F-3 Landing GearPublished:
Russ continues to deliver bits and pieces which are, when you think of it, invaluable! Most heavy thanks to him for providing IPMS USA yet another of his great works. This set provides metal duplicates of the original plastic landing gear for a kit which has been with us since 1959. (I have a box with the Gulfhawk kit; it proves, along with the decal sheet with manufacturing data, that this kit is just a year younger than I am!). The kit was re-released by Monogram (and later by Revell) in 1964, 1973, and 1999, both as the Gulfhawk and the standard F3F. The kit has cut-down Gulfhawk wings for both releases…to which Mike West has a replacements for the proper wingspan in resin, or you can use internet resources to cut/paste two kits to get the same result with a LOT more work!… more |
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Me-262A-1a/U2Published:
Thanks very much to Hobbyboss for providing IPMS/USA this marvelous review kit; I thought we were done with Me262 improvements, but I was wrong… at an excellent price! When Dave Morrissette told me the Trumpeter Me262 was an outstanding kit, I bought one and put it away for another day. He was right – excellent detail and superior presentation. Now, take that excellence, shrink it to 1/48th scale, and you have the Hobbyboss Me262. In this case, it is the single seat nightfighter. Markings are provided for one version, that being Werke Nr. 170056, the history of which you may research yourself (no spoon-feeding here!). The overall kit is state of the art; surface details are restrained, fit is excellent, and I only had a couple of areas that are probably of my doing that… more |
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B-24JPublished:
Loud “THANKS” to Danielle at Revell for providing IPMS/USA a chance to review this kit! We sincerely appreciate your support and look forward to even more great things from your company… Revell is a stalwart in the industry! For those of you unaware, the Revell re-release of the venerable (Originally Monogram) B-24J kit is just that… and VERY welcome to those of us who don’t appreciate having to pay internet auction house prices for models. This kit, originally released back in 1976, has been a staple of the 1/48 WWII scene for quite a while. Re-released several times, and modified as a B-24D at one point, this kit is still sought by people like me who really enjoy the genre. Glad to see it back in the fight… What’s in the box: One B-24J kit, molded in light gray and… more |
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SU-24K/UBK Frogfoot AntennasPublished:
This is about as simple as a review can get. First, thanks once again to Quickboost for the review items; once again you provide something I would not have thought to manufacture, but is, to my mind, a worthwhile improvement! This set contains Angle of Attack (AOA) vanes, two IFF antennas, and an air data probe. All are much more delicate than the kit items; the IFF blades are, in particular, much more refined than the kit items. The AOA vanes are likewise much thinner than the injected molded parts. And the air data probe, well, has the tube already hollowed out for you! To review, I added the IFF blades to my already-completed SU-25; the kit items were shaved off, and I installed the QB items. Very nice. A quick and easy set for your use; thanks to our friends… more |
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PV-1 Ventura CockpitPublished:
Outstanding detail, great support of the plastic modeling community, etc… all apply to Squadron Mail order and MMD distributors. We at IPMS/USA appreciate and thank you for providing us items to review! When I purchased the Revell Ventura kit, I thought, “wow, a decent, out of box build even I can sink the ol’ teeth into…” I did not know that True Details was working to upgrade the kit…and, with this cockpit, the detail level went up. The major items replaced are the instrument panel, throttle/fuel mixture quadrant panel, the basic floorboard, back bulkhead, seats, and middle “island” instrument and switch panel. There are also two side fuselage panels that replace the truly understated sidewall detail in the cockpit. Several kit parts are required: the seat legs for… more |
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T-28 Landing GearPublished:
Ross, the proprietor of SAC, has been a prolific supporter of IPMS/USA from the inception of his company; not only are his products excellent, but he definitely has provided us with some gems, and we appreciate it! Released in its standard bubble pack with card backing, (with the shield of the only true Air Force Command (SAC) for backdrop (ha), this set is a simple but important addition to anyone building Roden’s new T-28 kit. I was surprised to see my name written on the header card… until I realized it stood for “Roden”, not “Rod”! Alzheimers is real… The kit nose gear in plastic is to scale, which means if you put the required nose weight in to keep the nose on the ground, it will (over time) bend and eventually break off. Enter SAC. I am unaware of what type… more |
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Tu-95MS "Bear-H"Published:
First, thanks to Dragon Models USA and particularly Alain for providing IPMS/USA this review sample! Your support as a major model distributor is greatly appreciated. Dragon’s TU-95MS is a re-release of the original Dragon TU-95 kit from the late 1989/90 time period; decals are upgraded, but otherwise it’s the same kit. Fit is good with the exception of the nacelle assemblies; you will have to spend a bit of time getting the aft portion lined up with the front. Markings are included for two recent (circa 2010 or so) Bear airframes. Basic airframe assembly is simple; liquid cement, a bit of a swipe with a sanding stick and the seams disappear. The cockpit has no interior, and it could not be seen even if you were to detail it out. I had to use a bit of filler around the… more |
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Eduard FW 190D-13 Weekend EditionPublished:
Eduard continues its prolific release schedule of truly new items with this weekend release. Thanks very much for providing us the kit, and, as a company, for supporting IPMS USA with review items! This kit is a re-release of Eduard’s Fw190D kit, without the photoetch, extra markings, masks, etc… and as such the price is much lower. The intent: build a model in a weekend! An excellent idea for those who don’t want to have AMS(Advanced Modeling Syndrome) rule their modeling, and it certainly makes the kits more attractive to the modeling public at large. A brilliant idea that appears to be bearing fruit! I had not built one of the Eduard Fw190 series models. I have an A-8 and the Profipack D-9 in my stash, with the intent of building them later when I have time (!). When… more |